She gave me a weak smile but didn’t shift her feet to exit the car.
“Come here.” I slid my hand underneath her until my fingers grazed her hip on the other side. It would be enough to get a good grip on her before I could adjust my hold. My other hand slid under her knees. “Are you ready?”
She nodded, reaching up to wrap her hands around my neck.
“You know, you’re going to owe me for this.” I tried to make light of the situation, but I only got a slight smile for my effort. “I want at least one round of dominoes and ham sandwiches.” It was our usual afternoon pastime.
“Deal.” She shifted her hands, laying her head against my shoulder.
No one had bothered to call ahead, so when I walked in carrying Liz, the brothers in the main room sprang to attention. They were firing questions at me, at her, at anyone who might have an answer. A high-pitched whistle broke through the chatter, but I kept walking towards Liz’s room.
“My dad’s getting hauled off to the Playroom.” I hadn’t realized Meredith was behind me until she spoke. The room emptied quickly. The brothers took off for the front door, running into each other. “That should keep them occupied for awhile.” She followed me into the bedroom, closing the door behind her. “If you sit her in the bathroom, I’ll get her cleaned up.”
“I can do it,” I pushed. “Shouldn’t you check on your kid?” I didn’t realize how bad that had sounded until I saw the look on Meredith’s face. “It’s not like that,” I tried to explain. “I don’t want to leave her.”
She raised her eyebrow at me, pointing to the ensuite connected. “I’ll help her and then go check on my kid. Dead was on the couch, but he didn’t take off with the rest of them.”
“Already knows what a clusterfuck this is.” It was the best I was going to get. I sat Liz down, checking on her one last time before moving to the bed. I was far enough away to give them privacy but close enough that I didn’t feel like I’d left her. To Meredith’s credit, she chatted Liz’s ear off with funny Pumpkin stories.
“At least you opened Grace’s SUV door quickly. Pumpkin didn’t like the new formula the pediatrician put her on. He thought it would help with the shits, but she threw up all over Grizz.”
I smiled, listening in as Meredith turned the sink on. It wasn’t much longer before she grabbed Liz’s pajamas that were sitting on the bed. I watched her bounce back towards the ensuite before she stopped inside the doorway. She stuck her head out, waiting until she had my attention before saying anything.
“I won’t hold any of this against you.” She shrugged as if none of it mattered, but her eyes told another story.
***
It’d been a long time since I’d seen the walls of the Playroom. I’d put Liz first, but as she was falling asleep, my phone had dinged. It had been Grizz, telling me to get my ass down there when I was ready.
I walked through the door that led from the kitchen, down the stairs, landing in front of the jail cells. I’d been down here before, but standing at the end of the stairs, every nerve fired in anticipation. Gerry wasn’t going anywhere. He’d payfor his sins, bitching and moaning the entire way through. He was a lawyer, not a hardened criminal, and I wondered if we should take bets on how long it would take to break him.
The far door opened, and Pint walked through, whistling. “Grizz wouldn’t let us start until you showed up.” He gave a high-pitched squeal. “Let the games begin.”
I honestly wish I didn’t have to be here, but I wouldn’t back down from this fight. If Gerry had honestly sold Liz, I’d be in the thick of it, but I really wanted to be upstairs with her.
Grizz appeared in front of me as I walked through the door to the Playroom. “Sabre said not to wait for him. His mind isn’t here.” We both nodded at each other, knowing we’d make the same call in his shoes. “Pint set up the tools, but you can’t unleash the beast. Scrub’s not here to make sure that fucking asshole survives extreme pain.”
They were going to let me take the lead?I’d been a brother longer than a few of them had been alive, but when I hit Wise Man status, I knew my place. I embraced a behind-the-scenes role, acknowledging that my best days were over.
“You’re old, not dead.” Grizz patted me on the arm and went back to sitting on the table next to Pretty. Their feet dangled in sync.
I wanted to tear into Gerry. To hear his screams vibrate through the Playroom, but I didn’t trust myself not to kill him. “You know, VP, Gerry needs a bath. He still has that rehab stink on him.”
“Yes.” Pretty pumped his hands in the air. “I was afraid the torture part of this evening was going to be boring. Everyone loves a good waterboarding. Do we need snacks?”
There was a chorus of groans, and I watched as Wreck swiped his palm across his face.
“I knew I should have grabbed the chips. You’re all lame.” Pretty pouted, kicking the side of Grizz’s boot.
“The only reason you’re not gaining weight is because you’re in the gym almost as much as Count is. Hey, Wreck?” Grizz got his attention before pointing at Pretty. “Your bitch is mouthy, David. Isn’t that what you said to me?”
“How’s sleeping on the couch, Jonathan?” Wreck didn’t back down, but the rest of us went silent, watching the exchange. More and more brothers kept telling Wreck they didn’t care about his relationship with Pretty, but nothing had changed as far as I knew.
“I took a nap, fucker.” Grizz flicked Wreck off, but all I wanted to do was drown Gerry in his own lies.
I hung my club cut on the hook, and by the time I was ready, Pint had the nozzle screwed onto the hose.
“He hasn’t learned fucking shit,” Pint said to me. “Twig said Gerry tried to bribe him the entire way here. Anything he wanted, as long as he let the man go, but you know Twig. He’s loyal. Give’ em hell.” Pint patted my arm and stepped back to lean against the wall next to the other enforcers.
